Filling-detecting mechanism for looms.



- PATENTED 00130, "1906. B. s. woon.

FILLING DETECTING MEGHANISM FOR `LOMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-.1,1905

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.- UNITED VSTATES .PATENT OEEICE.

'EVERETT Swoon, or HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSiGNOR To DRAPER COMPANY, OE HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MAINE.

` Specifcationrof Letters Patent.

FILLING-DETECTING IVIECHANISNIFOR LOOMS.

Patented oct. 30,1906.

Application filed November l, 1905. Serial No. 285,370.

.'l'o a/ZZ whom, t may concern:4

Be it known that I, EVERETT S. WOOD, a

citizen of theUnited States,and a resident of ing the presence or absence of the filling as laid by the running-shuttle in a loom.

In the usual construction of such mechanismthe lling detector or fork is tilted by the filling when the latter is present, the forktail b'eing lifted while the shouldered hook of the vibrator or weft-hammer moves forward. The fork-tail then dro s back onto the hook behind the shoulder `t ereof, the hook completing its forward movement. On the return stroke ofthe vibrator the fork-tail slides over the upper surface of the hook until it reaches the shoulder and then drops onto the lower part of the hook, the fork then being in detecting position. l

. The surface ofthe hook over which the fork-tail slides is very apt to be rough or to become roughened, and afterthe hookr has .been v used for some time a slight bur is formed at the top of the hook-shoulder over which the fork-tail must drop.

The roughness, and especiallythe bur referred to, tends to agitate the fork and in some cases to throw it upward or tilt it at the timewhen it should be dropping into position for its next detecting action with relation to the filling. This tendency of the fork-` tail to be'thrown up at the moment it should be, falling off the edge of the hook-shoulder was particularly noticed in the operation of a loom forming the Subject-matter of United States patent to Northrop, No. 789,291, ldated May 9, l1905. In such structure the vibrator-hook at the left-hand side ofthe loom is provided4 with an overhangin guard .which extendstoward thenotch or soulder which engages the fork-tail. v .The lifting tendency just referred to would cause the fork-,tail to fly against or some- .times on top of this guard, in either case pre-l venting the proper action ofthe vfilling-fork.

Manifestly the trouble ensuing from such jumping of the fork will be much less Vwhere the guard ofthe Northrop double-fork structure is not used but in any case it must and does exist and Without question is undesirf able and objectionable as tending to interf fere with the proper action ofthe fork.

In accordance with my resent yinvention thefork after bein lifte or tilted by en-` gagement with the fi ling returns promptlyto the detecting position, and on the returnor inward. stroke of the weft-hammer the forktail neither rises nor falls, the fork remaining quiescent. Thus the jumping or agitation of the fork is eliminated, together with the objectionable features attendant 4thereu on.` I have also provided for rapidly and e ect-J ively absorbin any vibration in the fork on the return Stro e of the weft-hammer, as will be described.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in thesubjoined s ecification and particularly pointed out in tiie following claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sufficient portion of the filling-detectin mechanism of a loom embodying one form o my invention,

the parts being'in position for filling detecting.' Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the nearer side ofthe fork-slide being broken out and a part ofthe vibrator-hook being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a similar view, but

showing the cooperation of the hook and.v

j fork when filling failure has been detected.

Fig. 4 is a like view, but showing the hook as approaching the end of its inward stroke after the fork has detected the presence of filling. Fig. 5 is a Side elevation of the vibrator-hook detached, and Fig. 6 is, a perspective view of a spring member which is mounted on the hook to be referred to. v

Referring to the drawings, the fixed guide or stand 1, the fork-slide 2, slotted or bifurcated at its rear end to present separated sides 3.at its rear end and slidably mounted in the stand, the vibrating weft-hammer 4, moving in the same direction on` alternate picks, and the filling-fork body 5, provided with tines 6, fulcrumed at 7 on the slide, may be and are of usual construction, the fork being adapted to be tilted by the intact filling on the forward detecting beat of the lay.

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tion the fork-tail is substantially T-shaped, having a straight shank 8 and a lateral eX- tension or enlargement 9 at 'its free end. (Clearly shown in Fig. 1.)

The hook 10 is of peculiar shape, it having two opposite upright projections 11 thereon undercut on their adjacent sides at 12 to form a passage wide enough for the free travel of the end 9 of the fork-tail, the front sides of the projections being transversely notched at 13 near their tops. The hook is pivotally connected with the vibrator or weftshammer 4 at 14, and it slides back and forth on a crosssbar 15, forming a part of the slide.

The upper surface or top of the hook forms a continuous elongated rest portion 16, eX- tending fore and aft beyond the projections, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and slightly conveXed longitudinally, so that when the end of the fork-tail rests thereupon on the return movement of the weft-hammer no movement of the fork will be caused.

As shown in Fig. 2, the overhanging tops 17 of the undercut portions 12 are curved or iiared rearwardly to absorb or prevent any chance vibrations of the fork on the return stroke ofthe weft-hammer. In order to present the end 9 of the tail to the notches 13 upon absence of filling, I attach to the hook a light resilient or spring guide 18, (see Fig. 6,) having an attaching-shank 19, the guide being upwardly inclined against the front side of one of the projections 11, the guide being laterally offset from the shank, as shown. By this construction the lower edge of the guide normally rests on the rest portion 16 of the hook in the path of the end 9 of the fork-tail.

Referring now to Fig. 2, if filling absence occurs the fork will not be tilted, the end of its tail lying in front of the guide, and as the weft-hammer moves forward the guide lifts the tail end (see Fig. 3) into the notches 13 of the hook projections and coperation is thereby established between the tail and the hook and the fork-slide 2 is moved outward in usual manner. Upon return movement of the weft-hammer the fork-tail slides down over the guide and onto the rest portion 16 of the hook.

Now supposing the filling is intact, on the detecting pick it engages the tines 6 and tilts the fork, lifting the tail, so that its shank; passes upward between the projections 11, the end 9 of the tail clearing the latter as the hook moves outward, and when the fork drops back'the tail falls onto the rest portion 16, but behind the projections.

The weft-hammer and hook now make the return stroke or movement, the end of the tail sliding Ialong the surface -16 and through the undercut portions 12 until the tail end strikes the guide 18, and, as shown in Fig. 4, the guide yields or springs upward, allowing the end of the tail to slide under and past the guide to the position shown in Fig.'2.

When the fork-tail drops onto the rest portion 16 of the hook, the fork is restored to detecting position and no movement of the fork voccurs during the entire return movement of fork-tail upon filling absence; but if the forktail is sufficiently rigid and strong one projection may be dispensed with. l

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction of the practical embodiment herein shown and described, for various modifications may be made by those skilled in the lart without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, in combination, a filling-fork to engage and be moved by intact iilling, a vibrating weft-hammer, and means to prevent change in the position of' the fork by or through movement of the weft-hammer until absence of iilling is detected by the fork.

2. In a loom, in combination, a iilling-detector to intermittingly engage and be moved by intact filling, a vibrating member to cooperate with the detector upon detection thereby of filling absence, and means to prevent movement of the detector by or through the said member until filling absence occurs.

3. In a loom, in combination, a filling-fork having a tail and adapted to engage and be tilted by intact :[illing, a vibrator having a hook to co erate with the fork-tail upon absence of ii ling, and means to prevent tilting movement of the fork by or through movement of the vibrator and its hook until filling absence is detected by the fork.

4. In a loom, in combination, a tilting fillingfork having a tail, and a vibrating actuator having a hook provided with a projection to engage the fork-tail upon detection of filling absence, said hook having an elongated, continuous rest portion for the fork-tail, laterally offset from and extending fore and aft beyond the projection, whereby movement ofthe fork by the hook on its return stroke is prevented.

5. In a loom, in combination, a filling-fork having a tail and adapted to be engaged and tilted by intact illing, a vibrating weft-hammer, a hook connected therewith and provided with a projection to engage the forktail upon detection of filling absence, and means to sustain the fork-tail and maintain the fork in detecting position during the return movements of the weft-hammer.

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6. In a loom, in combination, a tilting iilling-fork having a tail laterally extended at its extremity, a vibrating weft-hammer, a hook connected therewith having a notched rojection to engage the tail extension upon detection of iilling failure, the inner side of the projection being undercut, an elongated, continuous rest ortion on the hook to sustain the fork-tail) on lthe inward movement of the weft-hammer, the undercut side of the projection overhanging such rest portion, and a yielding guide adjacent the notch, permitting the tail extension to pass thereunder, and to slide over the same into the notch upon detection of filling absence by the fork.

7. In a loom, in combination, a filling-fork to engage and be moved by intact illing, a vibrating weft-hammer adapted to move in one direction on alternate picks, and means to prevent movement of the filling-fork from detecting position-during the return movement of the weft-hammer.

8.v In a loom, in combination, a fillingfork v l one direction on alternate picks, and adapted to coperate with the filling-fork upon detection of illing absence thereby, and means to render return movement of the weft-ham-A 'mer ineective to move the lilling-fork.

9. In a loom, in combination, a tilting illing-fork having a T-shaped tail, a vibrating weft-hammer, its attached hook having o posite projections undercut on their a jacent sides, and notched on their front sides to engage the tail upon filling absence, the hook having a continuous-tail-supporting Iportion between and extending fore 4and aft eyond the projections, the tail slidin over such portion without movement on t e return movement of the weft-hammer, and a spring-guide to direct the end of the forktail into the'notches upon detection of iillin absence and permitting such end of the tai to slide thereunder on the return movement of the weft-hammer when filling is present.

In testimony whereof I have signed my lnameto this specilication in the presence'of two subscribing Witnesses.

EVERETT S. ,WOOD

Witnesses:

GEORGE OTIs DRAPER, ERNEST W. Woon.

so 'i 

